Research was carried out in the grassland area of the Minişului Valley, between Anina and Bozovici, and surrounded by the Aninei Mountains. The goal of the present paper is, on one hand, to identify medicinal and aromatic plants of value in the area and, on the other hand, to determine the amount of dry vegetal product recommended to be harvested. In the quantitative assessment, we took into account the laws of conservation of biodiversity and the need to recover the productive potential of the area. Irrational valorisation of some species can lead to serious ecological unbalance and even to their extinction. Taking into account the importance of ecological produce lately, harvesting medicinal and aromatic plants from the spontaneous flora should be a reliable alternative. Therefore, this study is of help for land owners in the research area, ensuring incomes with low costs. They could take into account either direct harvesting of the species or the introduction of some species of interest in cultivation, if they identify local populations of value from the point of view of the study of their active principles, or the promotion of agritourism based on the harvesting of medicinal plants too. The working method is the one introduced by Alexan, Bojor and Crăciun in 1983, regarding the economic mapping of medicinal plants. Economic mapping does not imply the entire inventorying of spontaneous medicinal flora in a certain location, but only species harvestable from the area that observe nature protection laws. The method is based on a large number of samples that aim at both maximal density areas and at minimal density areas of medicinal and aromatic species. In determining these areas we followed a zigzag line taking into account the even relief. The results of the present study are part of a research project PN II IDEI no. 1077/2009, project code ID-865 financed by the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sport, through the National Council for Scientific Research in Higher Education. The topic of the project is „Identifying medicinal and aromatic plants in the Aninei Mountains with a view to valorisation”.

medicinal and aromatic plants; quantitative assessment; Minişului Valley

Presentation: oral